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McLean County, Illinois
McLean County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is included in the Bloomington-Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 150,433. Its county seat is Bloomington6. Crop Production McLean County boasts some of the richest soil in the world. Only patches of farmland in Argentina, southern Ukraine and along the Yellow River in China match the fertile ground that covers much of the northern half of Illinois, particularly a high-yielding band through the state's midsection. It is the top-producing county in the United States for both corn and soybeans. Naming McLean is pronounced "mik-LAIN" or "muh-KLAIN" (as with native son McLean Stevenson), not "mik-LEEN" as some non-natives say. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,186 sq mi (3,072 km²). 1,184 sq mi (3,065 km²) of it is land and 3 sq mi (7 km²) of it (0.23%) is water. McLean County is the largest county in Illinois in terms of land area, at 1,184 square miles. Adjacent Counties *Woodford County to the northwest *Livingston County to the northeast *Ford County to the east *Champaign County to the southeast *Piatt County to the south *DeWitt County to the south *Logan County to the southwest *Tazewell County to the west History McLean County was formed late in 1830 out of Tazewell County. It was named for John McLean, United States Senator for Illinois, who died in 1830. Demographics As of the census² of 2000, there were 150,433 people, 56,746 households, and 35,466 families residing in the county. The population density was 49/km² (127/sq mi). There were 59,972 housing units at an average density of 20/km² (51/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 89.19% White, 6.19% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 56,746 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.50% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03. In the county the population was spread out with 23.50% under the age of 18, 18.60% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $47,021, and the median income for a family was $61,073. Males had a median income of $41,290 versus $28,435 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,227. About 4.10% of families and 9.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over. Cities, Towns, and Townships *Anchor *Arrowsmith *Bellflower *Bloomington *Carlock *Chenoa *Colfax *Cooksville *Danvers *Downs *Ellsworth *Gridley *Heyworth *Hudson *Le Roy *Lexington *McLean *Normal *Saybrook *Shirley *Stanford *Towanda Ghost Towns *Benjaminville *Kumler External links *McLean County Government Web Site *Map of McLean Co., showing political subdivisions Category:Counties of Illinois Category:McLean County, Illinois